As we (somehow) approach Week 4 of the 2023 NFL season, we know a lot more today than we did a month ago. We've seen positive and negative regression on both sides of the ball, and the league's true contenders have started to separate themselves from the pretenders. As always, defense remains a vital yet underrated factor to winning in real life and fantasy football, and our Week 4 fantasy defense rankings can point you in the right direction.
This week, a handful of otherwise strong defenses have very difficult matchups. Even the Jets (vs. Chiefs) — practically a weekly lineup lock — barely made our top 12 in the rankings. Meanwhile, the Bills (vs. Dolphins) dropped to the late teens with Miami's historic offense coming to town (70 points!? Against the Broncos?).
Needless to say, with usually strong defenses dropping in the rankings, other D/STs obviously rise up as sleepers and high-upside streamer options. If you've been following our weekly Waiver Wire Watchlist, you're probably already prepared to streams if your D has a tough Week 4 matchup, but it still makes sense to check back here early and often to stay on top of the latest rankings and developments.
So, let's dive into our Week 4 fantasy defense rankings, and get you prepared to beat your opponent at D/ST. No position left behind here! Championship-caliber teams dominate from top to bottom — now let's get it!
MORE: Watch NFL RedZone live with Sling (50% off first month)
Who are the best fantasy defenses in Week 4?
Stop me if you've heard this before, but the 49ers (vs. Cardinals) are the best team in football. A big reason for that is their defense, which seems to get better each year. Javon Hargrave, a pass-rusher from the NFC-champion Eagles earlier this year, was a fantastic addition to this squad, and Nick Bosa looks poised for another run at Defensive Player of the Year. This squad is imposing its will at all three levels, so good luck, Josh Dobbs — Kyle Shanahan's team will be much more prepared than the Cowboys were last week.
Speaking of Dallas (vs. Patriots), you think this unit will be practicing and playing with a chip on its shoulder this week? Arizona embarrassed this squad, which clearly went into the desert thinking it was on a different stratosphere than the Cardinals. Now Micah Parsons and the Cowboys get to bounce back against Mac Jones and the Patriots, who won an ugly 15-10 game against Zach Wilson and the Jets in Week 3.
We also like the Patriots (@ Cowboys), as Dak Prescott has not looked great so far this season and Bill Belichick always prepares his squad well for big games. New England held Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook to 18 yards apiece last week, and top Jets receiver Garrett Wilson failed to reach 50 receiving yards. It could be a long day for Tony Pollard and CeeDee Lamb.
Speaking of long days, the Steelers (@ Texans) will be giving DeMeco Ryans' Houston squad a much tougher test than the Jaguars did last week. T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and company are on a different level than Jacksonville's D, and it will show in the box score in the form of Texans' turnovers and sacks allowed.
The Ravens (@ Browns) have been good on D and bad on offense, and a date with an inconsistent Deshaun Watson could be just what the doctor ordered. Similarly, the Browns (vs. Ravens) will be all over Lamar Jackson, who has looked rusty when rushed and obviously misses JK Dobbins. We have both Baltimore and Cleveland even higher than the Broncos (@ Bears), Eagles (vs. Commanders), and Saints (vs. Buccaneers) despite seemingly better matchups for that trio.
WEEK 4 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Who are the best fantasy defense sleepers, waiver pickups in Week 4?
We already mentioned the Broncos (@ Bears), who got destroyed by the Dolphins in a 70-20 South Beach slaughter that Dexter would appreciate. Sean Payton will have this Denver squad ready to rebound against an abysmal Chicago offense. The Broncos closed out the weekend just 38-percent rostered in Yahoo.
The Bengals (@ Titans), Buccaneers (@ Saints), and Lions (@ Packers) all have road games, but all look like strong streamers against below-average QBs. The Tennessee offense has looked awful, and Cincy is basically in must-win mode. New Orleans will likely start turnover-prone Jameis Winston under center with Derek Carr's shoulder hurt, and we're still not totally sold on Jordan Love, who could be surprised by a Detroit defense that looked pretty damn good last weekend against a 2-0 Falcons team.
Another team that brought it last weekend was the Colts (vs. Rams), who upset the Ravens in a defensive battle. Indy catches the Rams without Cooper Kupp (hamstring) and should have enough Tutu Atwell/Puka Nacua tape to prepare for L.A. at home. If you're a wary owner of the Bills or Dolphins — who go against each other this weekend — you could do worse than the Vikings (@ Panthers), Seahawks (@ Giants), or Titans (vs. Bengals). In deep leagues, we might even consider the Texans (vs. Steelers). All present upside thanks to shaky and/or injured QBs.
We'll be updating these D/ST rankings throughout the remainder of the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.
WEEK 4 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Fantasy Defense Rankings Week 4: Who to start, sit at D/ST
Rank Player
1 San Francisco 49ers vs. Cardinals
2 Dallas Cowboys vs. Patriots
3 Pittsburgh Steelers @ Texans
4 New England Patriots @ Cowboys
5 Baltimore Ravens @ Browns
6 Cleveland Browns vs. Ravens
7 Denver Broncos @ Bears
8 Philadelphia Eagles vs. Commanders
9 New Orleans Saints vs. Buccaneers
10 Cincinnati Bengals @ Titans
11 New York Jets vs. Chiefs
12 Kansas City Chiefs @ Jets
13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Saints
14 Detroit Lions @ Packers
15 Indianapolis Colts vs. Rams
16 Buffalo Bills vs. Dolphins
17 Miami Dolphins @ Bills
18 Minnesota Vikings @ Panthers
19 Seattle Seahawks @ Giants
20 Tennessee Titans vs. Bengals
21 Houston Texans vs. Steelers
22 Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Falcons
23 New York Giants vs. Seahawks
24 Los Angeles Rams @ Colts
25 Chicago Bears vs. Broncos
26 Atlanta Falcons vs. Jaguars
27 Green Bay Packers vs. Lions
28 Los Angeles Chargers vs. Raiders
29 Washington Commanders @ Eagles
30 Las Vegas Raiders @ Chargers
31 Carolina Panthers vs. Vikings
32 Arizona Cardinals @ 49ers
Week 4 D/ST fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
Draft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week
We're proud to offer SN Fantasy readers an exclusive look at Draft Sharks’ award-winning projections and rankings every week. To see Draft Sharks' Week 4 3D floor-to-ceiling projections for D/ST -- plus get access to all of Draft Sharks' industry-leading tools -- become a Draft Sharks' member today at the link below!
TRY DRAFT SHARKS FREE: Dominate with exclusive tools, including Free-Agent Finder & Trade Navigator!
